As part of the upcoming International Women in Mathematics day celebrations in May, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) is proud to present a free virtual public lecture with mathematician, musician and author Dr Eugenia Cheng.
- When: Wednesday, 5 May: 12 pm to 1 pm AEST
- Where: Online – Virtual
- Register to get your free zoom link
Dr Eugenia Cheng has been featured in the New York Times, presented TED Talks, written several books, and even appeared on “The Late Show with Steven Colbert“. Her most recent book, X + Y, a Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender, tackles the issue of gender inequality and argues that her mathematical specialty, category theory, reveals why.
About this lecture: “Inclusion-Exclusion in the mathematical sciences: who is kept out, and how we can use maths to bring them in”
The question of why women and minorities are under-represented in mathematics is complex and there are no simple answers, only many contributing factors. Dr Cheng will draw on a combination of precise mathematical reasoning, techniques of abstract mathematical thinking, and her experiences as a woman in the male-dominated field of mathematics. She will argue that if we focus on character traits rather than gender we can have a more productive and less divisive conversation about maths and beyond. She will present a new theory for doing so, showing that we can use abstract mathematical thinking to work towards a more inclusive society in this politically divisive era.
Dr Cheng will also present the abstract field of Category Theory as a particularly inclusive subject area according to the dimensions of her new theory, and demonstrate its scope for deepening the curiosity and social awareness of high school students, rather than just pushing and evaluating them. This goes against the assumption that abstract mathematics can only be taught to high level undergraduates and graduate students, and the accusation abstract mathematics is removed from real life. No prior knowledge will be needed.
For more information about the event, head to: https://acems.org.au/events/eugenia-cheng-acems-lecture
The Road Ahead for Women in STEM – Virtual Panel Discussion
When: Wednesday 12 May, 12pm-1pm AEST
Where: The panel discussion will be online via zoom webinar. Please register to receive the zoom link.
Register here
As part of the celebration of International Women in Mathematics Day, we’d like to invite you to join us for an engaging panel discussion that brings together some top leaders in education in Australia.
The aim of the discussion is to be forward-looking and to explore how we can get more women in higher-level positions in universities, as well as more women in STEM and, specifically, the mathematical sciences. The panellists will examine why this is so important and look at the benefits of having more diversity in these different areas.
Panelists
- Professor Ana Deletic Executive Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology
- Professor Moira O’Bryan Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne
- Professor Asha Rao Associate Dean, Mathematical Sciences, RMIT University
Moderator
- Dr Rachael Quill Research Fellow, University of Melbourne, ACEMS Associate Investigator & Chair of the ACEMS Equity & Diversity Committee
